Another IVF clinic raid in Bangkok finds illegal commercial surrogacy

[webfact]

Another IVF clinic raid finds illegal commercial surrogacy



BANGKOK: -- Thai authorities on Wednesday raided the ninth In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) clinic located in Ratchaprasong area in Bangkok and discovered it also provide illegal commercial surrogacy.

Authorities discovered that the clinic worked in conjunction with an agent who hires more than one thousand Thai women as surrogate mothers every year..

Doctor Boonrueng Trairueng-worawattana, the director-general of the Department of health Service Support , led a team of official to inspect the Safety Fertility Center clinic located on the 17th floor of the Amarin Plaza in Bangkok which has been in operation for five years.

It is found that the clinic is a legitimate IVF clinic with all the proper documentation and doctors working there have been certified by the Royal Thai College of Obstetrics and Gynecology to perform assisted reproductive technology operations

However, he said, the clinic could face criminal charges for performing surrogacy operations on persons that have no direct connection through bloodline.

It was found that up to 3% of its 1,000 clients a year or 30 persons were provided with illegal commercial surrogacy.

He said foreign clientele from Australia, Canada and the Ukraine have made surrogacy enquiries through an intermediary or agency to hire Thai women as surrogate mothers which is illegal.

The case has been handed over to the police for charges of violating the Hospital Act of Thailand which carries penalties of one year imprisonment and a maximum fine of 20,000 Baht.

He said authorities are in the process of investigating the establishment because the amount of information is quite substantial because they have performed more than 1,000 assisted reproductive technology operations.

More importantly, of the 1,000 cases, many operations have been performed under illegal commercial surrogacy contracts, he said.

Meanwhile authorities responsible for investigating cases of surrogacy in Thailand are in the process of acquiring a warrant from the court for Shigeta Mitsutoki, the 24 year old Japanese national, for questioning.

This follows the results of tests carried out on DNA samples provided by his attorney which show direct connections to nine surrogate babies discovered in an apartment in Ladprao.

Shigeta Mitsutoki will be summoned as a key witness in the case as it was as yet unclear whether he has violated any human trafficking laws.

Authorities also stated that should Mr. Shigeta wish to take the children out of the country, he must acquire the permission from the women who bore the children on his behalf or file a claim with the court. The children are at present under the care of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security of Thailand.

In the case of Doctor Pisit Tantiwattanakun, the owner/operator of the All IVF Clinic located in Ploenchit charged with violating the Hospital Act of Thailand for performing illegal surrogacy operations, a warrant has been issued and he will be required to report to authorities on August 22.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/another-ivf-clinic-raid-finds-illegal-commercial-surrogacy/


-- Thai PBS 2014-08-21

[ChrisY1]

When the agents and clinics get fined 20K......and charge 300K+....what can be expected!

[Bender]

Shigeta Mitsutoki will be summoned as a key witness in the case as it was as yet unclear whether he has violated any human trafficking laws.

the only who violate human dignity, the only one who are involved, as usual, in human trafficking is thailand thailand thailand, why they dont get it?!

[Misterwhisper]

I wonder how many of those foreign couples have been told by the respective clinics that in fact commercial surrogacy is illegal in Thailand. My hunch: none.

Have surfed several clinic websites offering these services some time ago. Not one pointed out the illegal aspect. Instead, each single one of them waxed on about what a great opportunity for childless couples it would be, that the service would be very affordable, how their doctors adhered to highest ethical standards, that all surrogate mothers were well-educated, came from middle and upper class families (just like Pattaramon, I suppose) and had to go through extensive screening, and bla bla bla.

Ironically, practically all those sites are now offline.

[thesetat2013]

Meanwhile authorities responsible for investigating cases of surrogacy in Thailand are in the process of acquiring a warrant from the court for Shigeta Mitsutoki, the 24 year old Japanese national, for questioning.

Shigeta Mitsutoki will be summoned as a key witness in the case as it was as yet unclear whether he has violated any human trafficking laws.

Would a warrant make any difference?

There are warrants for arrest for many, many thai nationals that go unclaimed. And these people have criminal charges already against them. Why should a country honor a simple warrant for questioning when it is not even clear he violated any laws? A summons is not the same as a warrant also. So here they are planning both a summons and a warrant to try to get this Jap here for questioning.

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Shigeta Mitsutoki will be summoned as a key witness in the case as it was as yet unclear whether he has violated any human trafficking laws.

the only who violate human dignity, the only one who are involved, as usual, in human trafficking is thailand thailand thailand, why they dont get it?!

Why don't they get it , the truth is Bender, regardless of some opinions, Thailand has advanced medical skills, is well situated and is easy to get in and out and has corruption written all over it, the others that surround Thailand have corruption but none of the others or infrastructure, so Thailand it is, Malaysia , Singapore, Hong Kong , have stringent rules and values , if ever Thailand had the opportunity to clean up it's act is now , not only in this area but in other area's as well, betcha they don't.

[NongKhaiKid]

Meanwhile authorities responsible for investigating cases of surrogacy in Thailand are in the process of acquiring a warrant from the court for Shigeta Mitsutoki, the 24 year old Japanese national, for questioning.

Shigeta Mitsutoki will be summoned as a key witness in the case as it was as yet unclear whether he has violated any human trafficking laws.

Would a warrant make any difference?

There are warrants for arrest for many, many thai nationals that go unclaimed. And these people have criminal charges already against them. Why should a country honor a simple warrant for questioning when it is not even clear he violated any laws? A summons is not the same as a warrant also. So here they are planning both a summons and a warrant to try to get this Jap here for questioning.

A summons or warrant has no standing outside of Thailand which the authorities don't seem to understand or choose not to as part of a snow job to make it look as if they are doing something.

If they have a substantive charge(s), which is far from clear, they could request an Interpol Red Notice and if he was arrested by any member country Thailand must immediately be ready to start extradition and prove a case exists.. From what I have read so far I can't consider how a Red Notice could be issued.

He could be detained on Thai paperwork if he is silly enough to come back on his existing passport and presuming he has been put on the Immigration computer.

It seems he frequents Asian countries where counterfeiting isn't exactly unknown so if he comes back as someone else ... ?

Thailand doesn't have much of a track record in bringing wanted fugitives back, there's the sand castle king and a certain ex-monk living in luxury in California it seems because Tarit let it be known in advance his accounts were to be frozen so he cleaned them out and bade farewell to LoS. Tarit then didn't exactly bust a gut trying to get him back, well not when under orders to protect PTP and YL from local protests.